Art, a way to express yourself whether it is through creation, reflection or discussion of visual, musical or written media. Art is a part of our campus here. No matter where you look, it can be found in the walls of the art building, the constant sound in the music building and the acting in the theatre building. Campus is filled with artists. Whether they realize it or not, one of these artists is senior graphic design major Faith Tyrrell. Faith is from Marshalltown Iowa and is joined on campus by her younger brother, sophomore software engineering major Reece Tyrrell.
Senior theatre major Sierra Tumbleson, a friend and classmate of Faiths describes her as “One of the most unique individuals I have ever met, she is the definition of being her own person and she genuinely cares about people.” Tyrrell truly is one of a kind, giving all the glory and honor of her creative work to God.
Tyrrell is a true artist at heart. This is evident when she talks about her favorite part of her major, “My favorite part about my major is getting to play with color and shape to create something out of nothing or a simple prompt,” Tyrrell said. “I get such a thrill from the process of discovery as a design slowly falls into place.” Faith is excellent at using vibrant colors in order to bring life into her work, she knows when to use what colors in order make her pieces unique, joyful and fun to look at. Junior social work major Bailey Brown says, “While I love seeing the final products of Faith’s art, I especially enjoy getting to witness her process. In Just an hour of conversation together while she paints, the subjects further come to life. Watching her in the act of creating causes me to reflect on the creative nature of our God.”
Outside of art Tyrrell is a true academic who enjoys the process of constantly learning. “My favorite memories I have of NW are the ones shared with peers and professors growing and learning together. Our college has a wealth of beautiful humans that exude the love of Christ in how they live and work with one another,” Tyrrell said.
Her favorite class she learned from was one that was not major related, it was Greek Legacy, an honors class taught by Dr. Vonder Bruegge. “Greek Legacy taught me so much about the rich history of not only art, but also our modern society as a whole. It was a wild adventure getting to go and see the ancient world firsthand and actually walk where the Apostle Paul walked,” she said. “Dr. Vonder Bruegge and I would stroll through the seemingly endless halls of the art museums, with him giving historical commentary on each piece and me giving it an aesthetic assessment. History and art breathe in Greece. It is like the stones come to life before your eyes.”
As the semester is close to finishing seniors are looking to the future and contemplating what the next step is after college. Tyrrell however has given her worries to God. “I pray that my art will be used to bring an eternal, heart stirring type of joy into the hearts of my viewers. Ideally, I will be a children’s book illustrator, but I am open to whatever God has for me,” Tyrrell said.
No matter what path God leads Tyrrell down, it is safe to say that she has a foundation that will prepare her for whatever. With her strong faith and love for God and others she is someone who can truly put a smile on anybody’s face.
